5 Must do Exercises for Indian Women

How to Stay Fit after having Baby: Indian Moms Guide

Why Indian Moms find it so difficult to lose weight and tone the body? I personally think there are 3 major reasons – The genetics, lack of discipline and negligence.
Post-pregnancy obesity is not just an unwanted change in looks for the new moms but a threat to the health as well. With a dedication and selection of right exercises you can surely bring the pre-pregnancy shape back.
We are not going to talk about any magic pills or any hard diet. Just a few healthy tips and some workouts have been mentioned here to help you get out of the mist of post-pregnancy fat.
Read: Best Exercises for Losing Weight: Specially for Indian Moms
Read: Best Foods to Lose weight
Read: Weight Loss Juices

Top 5 Issues Indian Moms Face

Feeding or Dieting?

The new moms focus a lot on the breastfeeding and babycare post pregnancy which is also very important. Even I was advised by Dr. Sharma, a dexterous paediatric dietician/lactation expert/paediatrician, to dedicate lots of time to feeding and therefore I was unable to shed the extra pounds I gained by eating lots of high-calorie foods during pregnancy. Most of the extra pregnancy weight was gained by me during the first 4 months of feeding.

Genetics

If obesity is in your genes then it’s pretty difficult to shed the extra pounds. Even a single unit of calorie showers too many kilos to the body in such cases.

Negligence

After pregnancy, negligence seems to be an important part of the chore for the Indian moms. The new moms become so much busy with making their baby happy, feeding them and always keeping an eye on them to ensure safety that they overlook their own health. After pregnancy, the Indian moms not just bring their babies home but bring the laziness with them as well.

Diet

Be it the pre-pregnancy, pregnancy or post-pregnancy period – diet is the key to good health and fitness. As it is said – what you eat is what you become; diet plays an important role in your postpartum fitness and health. After hours of running, jumping and stretching at home for the little one and the household tasks, new moms become very hungry and eat calorie-rich foods. They get very less time to cook a balanced diet filled with protein and carbs. Taste and quick cooking become more important than a healthy diet.

Awareness/Motivation/Guidance

How many of Indian women go for a proper training or proper exercises courses? A handful of? We don’t give fitness training enough of importance.

Top 3 Health Issues Indian Women Face after the 50s!

Overweight

Obesity is very common after pregnancy. Rushing to shed the extra pounds can damage a new mom’s health and so can overlooking the fitness. Indian moms usually don’t exercise and give priority to babycare and household tasks post pregnancy.

Knee Weakness

The wobbly feeling of knee pain is experienced by several new moms. Pregnant moms carry the bay’s weight for nine months and therefore the body is affected. The hip and knee pain is the after-effect of child birth. Obesity post-pregnancy adds on the pain to knees. Ignoring these issues lead to knee replacement and painful treatments in 50-60s. Taking a step ahead today can save you from that horrible scenario in future.

Back Pain

Around 90% of Indian women suffer from back pain after 50s. Most of the Indian women ignore exercise and sit or sleep in bad postures. This causes back pain. There are many other reasons of post-pregnancy back pain including obesity, complex labor, bending frequently and change in hormones.

Considering all the issues and also the mental stress women go through because of the reduced social life, 24/7 kids care, household responsibilities and so forth, we have selected the following 5 exercises

5 Exercises Must for Indian Moms

Kapalbhati

Kapal bhati is a very useful pranayam to practice after the delivery. It’s an internal purification and fat losing exercise. ‘Kapal’ means forehead and ‘bhati’ means shine. The exercise brings a shine on forehead and helps the new mom tone lose fatty tummy. It’s better to start this exercise after 4-6 weeks from the delivery. In case of c-section take advise of your gynaecologist.
Kapalbhati works like Meditation and helps reducing stress too.

Towel Roll below the Belly Button

Diastasis recti is a common issue in the new moms. Placing a soft towel roll below the belly button is very helpful in post-pregnancy obesity. It’s an easy and cheap belly fat burning exercise for new moms. This exercise was introduced by famous Japanese Dr. Toshiki Fukutsuji. Dr. Fukutsuji’s best seller book has explained the proven theory on how women put on weight due to bad posture and displaced hip bone. This is very helpful to strengthen the back, improve flexibility and reduce weight which is what a new mom needs.

Knee Strengthening Stretches

Your body goes a bit off track after the delivery. Obesity and pain is experienced during this period. The knee strengthening stretches like hamstring, knee flexion and heal slide prevent the knee from being easily prone to the injuries post pregnancy.

Squats

After pregnancy, your body loosens up and extra weight is gained. Squats are good for core stability and mobility and toning lower body. Strengthened knees are necessary for doing squats as a huge intensity of the exercise is on the knees.

Leg Raises

During pregnancy, connective tissue and muscles go through a significant stress. The leg raises bring equilibrium in the body and relax it. Toned abs and well-shaped hips can be achieved doing leg raises regularly.
With that big tummy, loose muscles and the joint pain, one may hate existing wardrobe and seek a new one filled with dresses of larger size. Why do such a big sacrifice when you can get back to your previous shape just by following a healthy regime and doing few easy exercises? The post pregnancy exercises not just tone your body but boost your confidence level as well.
Remember one thing: Majority of women fail in weight loss due to undisciplined lifestyle. Stay motivated and achieve your target.